A Simple way to make a wreath
I made a simple wreath by using a particle system to make the shape of the wreath and only modeling one branch object then distributing it around with the particle system (no combing the particles).



Start with a torus (I scaled it along the Z to make it thinner).
Add a particle system to that torus. All you really have to set in the particle system is the Type (set it to "Hair") Length, and the Number of the particles. There are 1000 strands my wreath.

The important part are the force fields. All the below force fields are in the exact same spot as the torus, except for the two wind ones.


First add a Vortex Force Field, this is to make the strands curve around in more of a wreath shape.
On the left is just how the particle system looks, and on the right is with the vortex force field.

Add a plain Force type force field. This is to enlarge the center hole in the wreath.
Add a Wind force field. Rote it so that it points up. Here you need to set the Maximum Distance so that the wind only affects the strands on the bottom. You want to adjust the strength so that it just pushes the strands on the front or back side of the wreath into shape.
When you have that one adjusted to your liking duplicate it ShiftD, move it to the top and rotate it so that it is pointing down.
In the image below the wreath on the left has no wind force fields, see how the strands stick straight out the wrong way. On the right is what it looks like after adding the two wind forces, the strands are smushed into a wreath shape.



Now model a branch, it can be simple, but keep the length about the same size as the length of the strands. Do note that the stem of my branch has loop cuts all along it (they are the only part selected). That allows it to bend along with the particle strands.


Add a particle instance modifier to the branch you just modeled. The reason I'm using this modifier instead of the more common method of just setting the object in the particle settings is because the particle instance modifier will deform the object, as opposed to the just rendering the object in the particle system, which will keep it straight.

Set the Object to the Torus we added first.
Then check the all important Create Along Paths checkbox. Because I have my branch along the Y axis, the Y axis is selected.



Granted you are probably going to need to tweak your wreath some. Any time you're using force fields to model something it can be rather finicky. For that reason my blend is attached. Look through it, copy the settings, learn from it.

Here is the full blend